Brake-head for car-brakes.



PAT-ENTED @1126; 1904;

I J, H. GRAHAM; BRAKE HEAD FOR GAR BRAKES.

Ammonia nun mu 5, 19oz.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

.P-A'TENTED APR. 26, 1904.

' .J. H. GRAHAM. v

BRAKE HEAD FOR GAB. BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-Balm! 2.

UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

A T FI E-5i PAYNE GRAY, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRAKE-HEAD FOR CAR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110,758,176, dated April26, 1904.

' Application filed May 6, 1902. Serial No. 105,921 (No model.) i

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. G AHAM, a citi:

zen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of M assachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Brake- Headsfor Car-Brakes, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is .a specification, like figures on thedrawings representing like parts.

In car-brakes as usually constructed the truck-frame has suspended fromeach end thereof a brake-beam carrying at its ends brake-heads which inturn support the brakeshoes. Usually the brake-beam is connected to thetruck by means of links, and the point of connection between the linkand the brakehead is situated at a considerable distance back of thefrictional surface of the brakeshoe. are applied and friction generatedbetween the brake-shoes and the wheels the resistance tothe tendency ofthe brake-shoes to move vertically, due to the friction between theshoes and the wheels, is applied to the brakebeam at such a distancefrom the frictional surfaces as to cause the brakes to chatter.

It is the object of this invention to overcome this objectionablechattering when the tion of brake which will be most effective in itsapplication, and this I accomplish by providing each brake-head withmeans situated substantially in the plane of the braking-surface forsecuring the hanger directly thereto. Since the point of connectionbetween the hanger and the brake-head is situated as nearly as possiblein the plane of the friction-surface of the brake-shoe, the result isthat the resistance to the vertical movement of the brakes caused by thefriction between the shoes and the wheel is applied substantially at thepoint where the friction occurs and where it is most effective.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I have provided thebrake-head with a ledge or flange to which the hanger may be secured,which ledge or flange projects toward the front side of the brake-heador that side The consequence is that as the brakes wooden brake-beam,the ledge or flangeswill; preferably be extended from a vertical :back

to which the brake-shoes are attached, this construction bringing thepoint of connection between the hanger and brake-head approximately inthe plane of the frictional surface.

Figure 1 is a side View. of a portion of the" car-truck, showing a brakeapparatus having my improved brake-head. Fig. Zis a perspective view ofthe front side of the brakehead with the. brake-shoe removed. Fig. 3 isa perspective View of the back side of the brake-head constructed foruse in connection with the wooden brake-beam. Fig. 4 is a similar viewof a brake-head such as is used with the National hollow brake beam.Fig. 5 shows one way in which the brake-head may be suspended from thetruck. 7 V

The brake-head is designatedgenerally by 3 and at its front side willhave. the usual means for supporting the brake-shoe 4:.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a brake-head adapted for use in connection with theordinary wooden brake-beam 5 is illustrated, and in said figures thebrake-head has at its back side the usual flanges 6, which embrace thebrake-beam and are secured to said brake-beam in the usual well-knownway. On one of the side faces, preferably the outer face 7, the head hasa projecting flange or ledge 8, which extends forwardly toward thebrake-shoe and wheel or toward thefront side of the brake-head, saidshelf or ledge having the hanger which supports the brakemechanismsecured there- VVhere the brake-head is adapted for the piece or ear 9,which extends outwardly from the face 7 and against whiohthe end of thebrake-beam 5 rests. Where the brake-head, however, is adapted for usewith Y the .w'ellknown National hollow brake-beam, the shelf or ledge 8will project directly from the side of the head, .as seen in Figqi. 1

While it is within the scope of my invention to use any usual orsuitable hanger device for suspending the brake-head and brake-beam fromthe truck, yet I prefer to employ arigid hanger member 10 instead of theusual link commonly employed, as such rigid hanger serves to hold thebrake-head more steadily in its proper position and prevents chattering.As herein illustrated, the hanger 10 comprises a screw-threaded rod orbolt, which is suspended from the truck, as will be presently described,and which passes through an aperture 11 in the supporting-flange 8, saidhanger being clamped to the supporting-flange by means of nuts 12.Preferably I will interpose between the flange and each nut 12 a washer13, of some suitable elastic material. The hanger may be suspended fromthe truckframe in any suitable way, but preferably the same is providedat its upper end with an eye 14, which is slidingly fitted over thesupporting-arm 15, secured to the truck. The said arm 15 may either berigidly secured to the end of the truck, as shown in Fig. 1, or the samemay be fulcrumed upon the car-axle, as in my copending application,Serial No. 105,922, filed May 5, 1902, and as shown in Fig. 5, theadvantage of this latter construction being that the application of thebrakes does not cause the truck-frame to tip, as is the case where theforce of the-vertical movement of the brake-shoes, due to the frictionalcontact between the same and the wheels, is transmitted directly to theend of the truckframe, as in Fig. 1.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the point at which thebrake-heads are secured to the hanger is situated substantially in theplane of the frictional surfaces, and therefore the resisting forcewhich prevents the vertical movement of the brake-shoes when the brakesare applied is applied directly to the brake-head and at the point whereit is most effective to prevent chattering of the brakes. It is also adecided advantage to have this force applied di rectly to the brake-headinstead of to the brakehead through the brake-beam, for a substantiallyrigid connection is thereby thus made between the hanger and thebrake-head. A further advantage from this structure is derivedv from thefact that the brake-head is so constructed that the point of attachmentbetween the same and the hanger is situated in the longitudinal plane ofthe supporting-arm. This is made possible by the special construction ofbrake-head, and it prevents any distortion or twisting of thesupporting-arms when the brakes are applied.

Believing thatI am the first to devise a brake apparatus wherein thehanger is secured directly to the brake-head at a point in front of thebrake-beam, I desire to claim the same broadly, and would consider ascoming within my invention any brake-head having means for securing thesame directly to the hanger at a point in front of the brake-beam andsubstantially in the plane of the braking-surfaces without regard to theprecise construction of brake-head or the specific form of hanger em:ployed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A brake-head adapted to support a brakeshoe, and having means tosecure a hanger directly thereto,said means being situated on one sideof the brake-head.

2. A brake-head, a brake beam secured thereto and a hanger secureddirectly to the brake-head at its outer side.

3. A brake-head having means to secure a brake-beam to the back sidethereof, and means to secure a hanger to the outer side thereof.

4. Abrake-head having a supporting-flange projecting forwardly from theouter side there of, said flange being adapted to be secured to ahanger.

5. In a brake apparatus, a brake-head having a supporting-flangeprojecting forwardly from the side thereof, and a hanger suspended fromthe car-truck and secured directly to the said flange, the constructionbeing such that the point of connection between the hanger and thebrake-head is substantially in the plane of the braking-surface.

6. In a brake apparatus, a truck-frame, a hanger suspended therefrom,and a brake-head connected directly to said hanger, the point of 7connection between the hanger and brake-head being situated at one sideof the longitudinal plane of the car-wheel.

7. In combination in a brake mechanism, a brake-head provided with alaterally-extending flange; a hanger rigidly secured to said flange andloosely suspended from a springcontrolled beam mounted upon thecar-truck; said beam; and said car-truck.

8. A brake-head adapted to support abrake shoe and having alaterally-extended flange provided with an eye for the attachment of thebrake-head to a hanger.

9. In a brake apparatus, a brake-head having a laterally extendingflange projecting from one side thereof, and a hanger supported by thecar-truck and secured directly to the said flange.

10. Ina brake apparatus, a truck-frame, a hanger suspended therefrom,and a brakehead having a laterally-extended flange to which the hangeris secured.

11. A brake-head adapted to support a brake-shoe andhaving alaterally-extending brake-head and a vertical hanger therefor securedthereto in front of the brake-beam and in immediate proximity to theshoe-face of said brake-head; said hanger being thereby adapted totransmitvertioally and directly the frictional stresses; and saidbrake-beam.

15. In combination in a brake mechanism, a brake-head and a hangertherefor rigidly secured thereto in front of the brake-beam and inimmediate proximity to the shoe-face of said brake-head; and saidbrake-beam.

16. In combination in a brake mechanism, a brake-head and a hangertherefor rigidly secured thereto in immediate proximity to the shoe-facethereof and in front of the brakescribing Witnesses.

JOHN H. GRAHAM. Witnesses:

JOHN G. EDWARDS, LOUIS 0. SMITH.

